


I'm constantly on the cusp of trying to kiss you

by trilliastra



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, Awesome Laura Hale, Barista!Stiles, Fluff, M/M, Misunderstandings, Oblivious!Derek, Tattoos, Writer!Derek, oblivious!Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-21
Updated: 2014-01-21
Packaged: 2018-01-09 11:43:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1145561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trilliastra/pseuds/trilliastra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“We were fine, back at the coffee shop! Then you got weird after that phone call – even if you were the one who gave me your number – and this afternoon you ran from your sister's tattoo shop and now you can't even look at me! What did I do?”</p><p>“It's not your fault! I just –” Derek scoffs, remembering what his ex-girlfriend, Kate, once told him. “I'm a writer, okay? I make things up for living. Sometimes it's hard to dissociate reality from fiction.”</p><p>-<br/>In which Derek is a writer and has a crush on Stiles, they talk about skydiving and getting tattoos, and Laura Hale is awesome.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm constantly on the cusp of trying to kiss you

Derek has to admit his crush is becoming a problem. The moment he stepped inside that little coffee shop, and Stiles greeted him with a bright smile, saying 'Welcome! How can I help you?', Derek had to bite his tongue not to say 'I want a coffee and you in my bed as soon as possible' in what would be the worst pick-up line of all times.

“You should get a tattoo with his name, Der.” Laura says, making Derek wonder – not for the first time – why he still tells her about his life. But then, if he didn't, she would find out anyway because Laura is nosy like that, and his punishment for not telling her would be three times worse than the constant mocking she is putting him through now. “Your weird obsession with him is lasting longer than the average relationship.”

Laura tried to keep tabs on every person that came in her tattoo shop to get their 'special someone's name' – as she calls it – tattooed on their body, but when the number started to come close to the three hundreds she decided it was better to stop counting or risk closing her shop, out of sheer frustration.

Now she keeps a sign to mark _'days without having to tattoo a name'_ close to the door as an inside joke, and throws a party every time it hits thirty days.

“Very funny.” Derek scowls. “Mom wants to meet for lunch tomorrow.” He informs, going back to revising the new version of his book and smiling when Laura lets out a groan.

“Well, I have a –”

“Don't worry.” He cuts, closing his laptop and turning to leave the kitchen. “I asked Boyd to cover for you.” Derek smiles at Laura's outraged face and doesn't even feel guilty for messing up with her. “You're welcome.”

Derek controls his laughter all the way to his bedroom but as soon as the door closes, he laughs until his stomach hurts.

–

“Hey, Derek! How are you feeling in this rainy day?” Stiles calls from behind the counter, as Derek takes off his soaked jacket.

“Blue.” He jokes, sliding on a chair by the counter. His stomach gives a full twist when Stiles throws his head back and laughs happily.

“The usual?” Stiles moves towards the coffee machine and Derek nods his agreement.

When he came into the coffee shop that fateful Saturday afternoon, he meant to just buy a chocolate cake for Laura's birthday and nothing else, but it has been six months and Derek keeps coming back to drink coffee and eat sweets – two things he never really liked – because of Stiles' stupid brown eyes and his beautiful smile.

Six months of having to endure all kinds of jokes from Laura and the rest of his family (of course she was going to tell them everything) and trying to flirt with Stiles – only to be completely ignored.

Laura says he's going to die alone and fat.

Derek agrees.

–

“Do you ever feel like doing something crazy?” Stiles asks while Derek drinks his coffee. The coffee shop is almost empty, safe for a guy who Stiles says is addicted to caffeine and Derek – who's addicted to Stiles.

Derek raises one eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I don't know, just – something. Like bungee jumping or skydiving or getting a tattoo.”

“One of those things is not like the others.” Derek points and Stiles waves him off, laughing.

Derek's stomach does another somersault and he just wants to fist Stiles' stupid shirt and pulls him into a kiss.

“I know, asshole.” The last word is muttered somehow fondly, and Derek preens for making Stiles feels so comfortable around him. “But you understand what I mean?”

“Yeah.” He says softly because something in Stiles' expression is telling him that this conversation is bordering personal and delicate subjects. “When I was sixteen –” Derek starts, swallowing nervously. “I felt like doing something just to piss off my parents. It was a stupid reason but I don't regret it.”

Derek looks up, smiling at the memories of his 'rebellious phase' as his mom usually calls. Stiles smiles back, and brings one hand to cover Derek's, squeezing it gently. It's meant to comfort and nothing more, but Derek can't control the way he reacts to Stiles' touch – a wave of adrenaline invades his body and his heartbeat accelerates.

They keep looking at each other and when someone coughs awkwardly behind them, Stiles jumps and Derek dares to let himself hope again – because while Stiles makes the other costumer's coffee, he keeps sending Derek this quick glances, and smiling to himself every time he looks over and notices Derek staring back at him.

“Sorry.” Stiles comes to stand in front of Derek. “You were saying –”

Derek smiles. “I have to go or I'll miss lunch with my mom.” He says, and Stiles' smile drops immediately. Derek has to remind himself he's a 26 year-old man and he's in a public place to stop himself from jumping over the counter and kissing Stiles until they both forget the rest of the world.

 _So pathetic,_ Derek thinks.

“But I think you should do whatever you want. Life's short and now's not the time for fear, that –”

“comes later.” Stiles finishes for him, laughing. “We both watched Batman, yeah.”

“Here.” Derek grabs a napkin, and reaches over the counter for the pen Stiles keeps in the front pocket of his jeans. He tries not to the think about the implications of he just did, and pretends to be completely unabashed by it while Stiles' cheeks turn an adorable shade of red. “This is the address of my sister's Tattoo Shop. Go whenever and talk to her about it. She's really good.”

“Do you –” Stiles coughs, looking down to his feet. It suddenly hits Derek that Stiles is still so young, still in College and probably having fun there. He doesn't need or want complications like Derek to mess with his life. Not now at least. “do you work there, too?”

Derek shakes his head. “No. But I could – I could go with you, if you want.” He offers, flushing red.

He knows he will regret this later. Laura is going to tease him forever, but the hopeful and happy smile Stiles is giving him definitely makes the mocking worth it.

“Oh, no. You don't have to. I don't want –” Stiles lies, waving around. His gestures are clumsy and exuberant – the same cute movements that got Derek's attention that first time. 

“Don't worry about it.” He scribbles his own cell number under the address and gives the napkin back to Stiles. “Give me a call and I'll be there.”

Stiles grins. “Thank you.”

With a last wave Derek turns to the exit, leaving the coffee shop with his head still spinning and a playful smile on his face.

–

“Oh my God.” Laura shrieks. “Did you – oh my God.” She's laughing and clutching her stomach, looking at Derek like he's the biggest joke in the universe.

“Shut up.” Derek hisses, looking around in embarrassment. People are looking at them curiously, and Derek just wants to hide under the table, and maybe dig up a hole to disappear inside it forever.

Laura just ignores him. “You gave him life advice. You!” She bursts into a new fit of laughter.

Derek prays for patience and also thanks God his mom is late for lunch, or else he would have two scandalous women laughing at his face.

“And you gave him your number, but couldn't just ask him out.” Laura wipes a tear off her face. “Could you be more of a dork?”

“Shut. Up.” He repeats. “If mom ever hear about this, I'm going to tell her about all those times you tried to convince Cora to get a tattoo.”

He mentions Cora because she's eight years younger than Laura, but he could still tell their mom about the Triskelion tattoo Laura made on his back when he was only sixteen. 

And Laura knows it, because her eyes widen and she quickly raises her hands in surrender. “Alright, I promise. Just – Derek, I'm worried about you.”

Derek shakes his head fondly and takes her hand in his. “There's nothing to be worried about.”

“You deserve to be happy, too.” She squeezes his hands, smiling softly. “And your constant pining is affecting me. You know I hate feelings.”

Laura's nickname when they were kids was Ice Queen, because she wouldn't even bat an eyelash when Derek got hurt or Cora cried, and she only got better with time, pretending she doesn't care about things or people, but they also perfected their ability to read her. The little flick in her eye, how she avoids looking at them and locks herself in the bedroom or leaves the house for hours – their dad used to call it _Laura Hale's Way Of Pretending She's Not An Actual Human Being._

“I do know that.” He kisses her hand. “But you have them anyway.”

“You will never prove it.”

–

Lunch passes without incidents. Laura doesn't mention Stiles, Derek doesn't tell about the illegal tattoo and their mom keeps insisting they should meet someone and settle down.

Derek is surprised she still hasn't given up on Laura because his sister made it pretty clear she doesn't intend to settle down any time soon. But, he thinks, at least while their mom focus on Laura's non-existent romantic life she leaves Derek's alone.

“I hope Cora finds someone soon.” Laura asserts, collapsing on the couch as soon as they get home. “Maybe then mom will stop trying to set me up with someone and starts planning Cora's wedding instead.”

“I doubt it.” Derek sits on the couch beside her, rolling his eyes as his sister spreads her legs over his lap.

“Then you do it. Ask Stiles to marry you and take me out of my misery.” She pokes his chest.

He smiles despite himself as Laura watches him curiously. “You're the bigger sister, and it's your duty to marry first.”

“This argument is getting old.” She closes her eyes, ready to take a nap before going back to the shop.

“Just like you.” He teases as Laura groans and throws a shoe at him. 

“Asshole.” She says as Derek's phone starts to ring in his pocket. It's from an unknown number and for a moment he just tries to figure out who could be – shit.

“Hello!” He answers quickly, and Laura snorts.

“Derek?” Stiles asks, and Derek doesn't think he ever moved as fast to leave the room as he did just now.

“Yeah.” He confirms, trying to muffle Laura's scream of _'tell your boyfriend I said hi!'_. “Sorry, that was my sister.”

When Stiles laughs, Derek imagines his expression – mouth open and head thrown back – and his pulse quickens. “It's okay. I just – I called the shop and you said you could come with me, so –”

“Oh, yes. Sure.” Derek closes his bedroom door and rests his forehead against it, squeezing his eyes shut and thinking idiot, idiot, you're an idiot, Derek. “When?”

“Uh – tomorrow at 4?”

Derek sighs. “I'll meet you there.”

They stay silent for a while while Derek resists the urge to bang his head against the door to try and forget the past five minutes. “You don't – you won't come to the coffee shop?”

“I have something else to do.” It's not a lie, Derek has an appointment with his book editor but he can't exactly tell Stiles that. Derek's works are published with a pseudonym for a reason and that is: to keep his identity a secret – forever if he can help.

It doesn't matter if people keep saying he will sell more books with his photo on the back – Derek would like to remain anonymous, thank you very much.

“Oh, right. No problem – I'll see you at 4?”

“It's a date.” He says and immediately regrets his words. “Shit, I didn't mean to –”

“I know.” Stiles cuts and he sounds almost disappointed. “See you, Derek.”

He hangs up before Derek can say goodbye.

–

“What will it be, Derek?” Erica asks. She's sitting on the counter, swinging her legs up and down while waiting for her next client. “Matching tattoos? Hearts with your names inside it?” She is like a younger version of Laura, and Derek doesn't know how Boyd handles working with them all day.

“I will use those needles on your face.” He grits.

Erica scoffs, looking down at her nails. “You don't scare me, sweetie.”

“I thought he scared everybody.” Someone says from behind them. When Derek jumps, Erica smirks making a face Derek assumes it means she's going to remember his reaction in the future for blackmail purpose. Obviously. “Hey.” Stiles greets, waving his hand at Erica and giving Derek a shy smile.

It's the first time Derek sees Stiles acting shy and it makes him wonder if the phone call from yesterday had something to do with it.

“Hello, there.” Erica says, licking her lips and jumping out of the counter to give Stiles a kiss on the cheek.

Derek grits his teeth. He knows Erica is doing it just to mess with him – she and Laura probably planned the entire thing – and Derek is also angry with himself for falling in their trap, but is a knee-jerk reaction – like anything related to Stiles nowadays.

“Hi.” Stiles says, cheeks red. It's adorable. “Are you Laura?”

“Oh, no. I'm Erica.” Erica winks again. “Laura is the boss, she's resting in the back room but she will be here soon.”

“Oh, cool.” He fumbles with his hands, turning to look at the pictures Laura has hanging on the walls. “It's a nice place.”

“We do our best.” She gives Derek a thumbs up and mouths _'good pick'_. Derek only glares and mouths _'get out of here'_ back. Erica ignores him – as usual. “You want to check Laura's portfolio while you wait?”

“No, it's fine. Derek said she's good. I trust him.” The last three words are muttered softly and directly to Derek.

It somehow feels like Stiles is talking about something else – his eyes intense and focused solely on Derek's face. And it's like the entire room disappears, except for him and Stiles.

 _Fuck,_ Derek thinks. He's in love with Stiles.

Somehow, during those six months he spent hanging out with him in the coffee shop and nursing the biggest crush in the universe, Derek managed to fall in love with Stiles. Young, bright and beautiful Stiles, who would have to be stupid to want anything with old, dark and broken Derek. 

He knows Stiles isn't stupid.

While they keep staring at each other, it feels like they are having their own silent conversation, and Derek wonders if Stiles could be thinking the same thing he is.

If he's looking at Derek now and imagining the two of them going out together, and holding hands after a dinner. He wonders if Stiles thinks about Derek's hands and lips with the same frequency Derek thinks about Stiles'.

“O-kay.” Erica coughs, making Derek startle and Stiles look away quickly. “I'm going to call Laura now.” She looks at Derek with a soft expression, and it doesn't matter if they fight and tease each other all the time – he still loves her like a little sister.

“So – your appointment went okay?” Stiles waves as Erica leaves the room.

“What?” Derek blinks, and Stiles huffs a laugh. “Oh – yeah. I hate them but – it's work.”

Stiles nods, stepping closer and looking at Derek almost happily, opening his mouth to say something –

“Stiles!” Laura calls, making Derek groan. “Nice to meet you. I'm Laura.”

“I gathered that much.” He smiles, and Laura laughs delighted. 

_This is bad,_ Derek thinks. Laura is starting to like Stiles and this means she's going to act even more obnoxious around him.

“Do you know what you want to get?” She guides him to the other room, where she keeps her work things. Stiles looks up to Derek nervously, and Derek moves to stand beside him, bringing one hand to squeeze Stiles' shoulder. He smiles, relieved and leans a little closer to Derek's body – heat radiating in waves and Derek bites his lip to muffle a groan. Conscious or not, Stiles is pushing all the right buttons to make Derek crazy.

And it's not a nice feeling to have in a public place, especially with the way Laura keeps watching their interaction, amused.

“Yeah, I thought a lot about it.” Stiles gulps when Laura tells him to sit. “I want to tattoo a name.” He says, and if it were another situation Derek would laugh at Laura's face, but now – he feels the world shattering around him. “Claudia.”

That's what he gets for letting himself get involved again.

The anger comes faster than the sadness – like always. And Laura's pitying look doesn't help either.

“You okay?” Derek looks at Stiles' concerned expression and he tries to open his mouth one, two, three times but nothing comes out. “Derek?”

He can't stay there any longer.

“I – I'm sorry.” Derek says, and promptly does the one thing he promised he wouldn't do anymore. He runs.

–

 _Claudia is an awful name,_ Derek thinks as he starts to pace around the room. Just like its owner, Derek wants to add but he knows it's probably not true.

If Stiles chose her, if he loves her enough to permanently mark her name on his skin – then she must be wonderful, young and smart just like Stiles.

With one last huff he collapses on the bed in his childhood bedroom. He drove to his parent's house, because it's the only place he felt comfortable going. The apartment he shares with Laura is too close to her shop – and right now, too close to Stiles.

Laura called him twice already, and left a very angry and disturbing voice mail – ordering him to come back and explain himself, threatening to suffocate him with a pillow while he sleeps and informing she's not equipped to deal with crying boys and their feelings.

He sent a message back saying she won't have to deal with him crying because he's staying at their parent's house and apologized again, while Cora lurked by the door, glaring and muttering things like _'I thought I got rid of this asshole three years ago'._

His family has a weird way of showing affection.

–

Three hours and thirty-seven ignored calls later, Laura's car pulls on the drive-way and Derek groans, hiding his face under his pillow – if she really came here to kill him, then he might as well make things easier for her.

Derek can hear Laura and Cora arguing downstairs and while Laura seems ready to skin him alive, Cora remains calm – like always, saying that perhaps Derek should rest for a while. But suddenly something changes and it's Cora's turn to start screaming, calling Laura of names Derek never heard before.

He's starting to think about going downstairs, because someone needs to act like an adult while their parents are away, when they start climbing up the stairs and he's able to hear a third voice talking.

Stiles' voice.

Derek wonders if it's too late to jump out the window, drive to the airport and join Peter on his vacation in Aruba.

–

“Don't even think about it, Derek Hale!” Laura screams as she opens the door with a bang and catches Derek walking to the bathroom. “You need to talk.” She points from Stiles, who's standing awkwardly between Laura and Cora by the door, to Derek. “Right. Now.” Then she physically pushes Stiles inside the room, grabs Cora by the hand and storms away.

Derek can hear Cora screaming about how she will come back to save him as soon as she gets rid of the dragon, and thinks he owes her at least three drives in his Camaro for her attempt to help him.

“Your sisters are intense.” Stiles says, running a hand through his hair. Derek can see the edge of the bandage covering the tattoo on Stiles' left arm, and he feels sick.

“Yeah.” He agrees, turning to look out the window.

“What is wrong with you?” Stiles snaps, and Derek realizes it's the first time he sees Stiles angry.

He's glaring at Derek, trying to intimidate him or maybe force him an answer out of him, and Derek has to admit it's working. “We were fine, back at the coffee shop! Then you got weird after that phone call – even if you were the one who gave me your number – and this afternoon you ran from your sister's tattoo shop and now you can't even look at me! What did I do?”

“Nothing!” Derek answers, frustrated and sad. He has to remind himself this mess isn't Stiles' fault, Derek was the one who made false assumptions. “It's not your fault! I just –” Derek scoffs, remembering what his ex-girlfriend – Kate – once told him. “I'm a writer, okay? I make things up for living. Sometimes it's hard to dissociate reality from fiction.”

Stiles is looking at him, eyes wide and mouth open. Probably surprised because Derek never mentioned his work before.

He takes a deep breath. “I'm sorry I overreacted. Really.” 

“So you thought I was a vampire and freaked out?” Stiles jokes, making Derek smirk. “Is that the kind of book you write?”

“I imagined you were in love with me.” He blurts, and Stiles freezes. “Sorry.”

“Oh. I don't –”

Derek raises his hand in a perfect imitation of his mother. “I know, okay? You don't need to explain anything.”

“Yeah.” Stiles laughs but it's wrong. It's forced and his eyes aren't shining like they usually do. “Of course. It's stupid anyway, right? Just – stupid.”

Derek doesn't know what Stiles is talking about, it seems like they are having an entirely different conversation, but before he can ask what Stiles meant, the younger man talks again. “I guess I just thought you weren't going to be an asshole about it.”

Derek blinks, 100% sure he's missing something. “What?” 

“Whatever.” He waves Derek off, looking angrier than before. “Just ignore it, okay? I'll change my shift at the coffee shop, so you won't get freaked out by my feelings for you anymore.”

_What._

This is the word of the day, and Derek never felt more confused in his entire life.

“Your feelings.” He repeats. “For me?”

Stiles' glare intensifies – if that's even possible – as he grabs Derek's pillow and throws it at him.

“Fucking asshole.” He mutters, leaving the room.

Derek doesn't know what just happened, but he knows he can't let Stiles leave without a better explanation. It could be his last chance. “What about Claudia?”

Stiles stops immediately, and Derek has to stop to not bump into him. “What about her?”

“She – what does she think about it?”

“My mom is dead, Derek. Why would she think something about you treating me like an asshole, just because I'm fucking in love with you?”

 _Jesus,_ Derek thinks, _I'm an idiot._

Scratch that, he's the biggest idiot in the world. And he absolutely doesn't deserve Stiles, but fuck – Derek loves him.

“I thought she was your _girlfriend._ ” Derek says. “I thought you were tattooing your girlfriend's name and I freaked out because I thought I had imagined your feelings for me!”

It's Stiles turn to mutter a weak _what_ and gape at Derek. His pretty mouth hanging open and now that Derek knows, is sure of Stiles' feelings for him, he stares shameless, licking his own lips and smiling wickedly.

“Because you – like me too?” Stiles finally asks.

Derek steps closer, bringing one hand to rest on Stiles' hip while the other cups his face. “I'm in love with you.” He whispers, and leans in, pressing their lips together – licking into Stiles' mouth almost desperately. Stiles' lips are soft and his fingers tangling in Derek's hair feel like torture.

“Could have been doing this for months.” Stiles moans in between kisses and Derek thinks _yeah_ , and also _more._

He circles his arms around Stiles' waist to bring him closer, and moves to kiss and nip at Stiles' jaw, whispering in his ear. “Let's not waste more time then.”

Stiles nods. “Bed.”

**Author's Note:**

> When I'm bored, without internet and I can't watch the new Teen Wolf episodes, I write fanfics with misunderstandings and alive Hale family.  
> Oh well...
> 
> Hope you liked it!  
> Comments are always welcome!  
> [Tumblr](http://www.brookesbutler.tumblr.com) if you want to talk!


End file.
